A large number of currently used derivatives of this type are known, including mercurobutol, mercurophene, mercurosal, mercurochrome.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,721 in particular has already disclosed derivatives of mercurobutol used for the protection of supports, especially textile supports. These derivatives comprised a functional group bonded to the phenol ring of the mercurobutol, said group being capable of intervening in a reaction of polymerization or of polyaddition; they presented the bioactive properties of the mercurobutol. Among the functional groups, the allyl, vinyl or acrylic groups were mentioned.
However, it has been observed that the presence of the phenol ring presented limits in the operation of the reaction of polymerization. The phenol function has an inhibiting action which limits the development of the reaction, and which reduces the yield thereof. In this way, despite the interest that the derivatives of mercurobutol described in the above-mentioned patent present, their use on an industrial scale is limited by this characteristic peculiar to the phenol function.
Organic mercurial derivatives have now been found, and this is the subject matter of the present invention, which have antiseptic characteristics and which do not present the limitation observed.